SAHIWAL: President Bishop of the Synod, Church of Pakistan, Rev Dr Azad Marshall, in a recent letter to President Asif Ali Zardari, expressed his concern regarding the remarks made by Dr Zakir Naik about the Christian community and their faith during his recent visit to the country as a state guest.

Dr Naik’s visit, which concluded last week, included numerous public speeches and individual discussions.

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In the letter (a copy of which is available with Dawn), Dr Marshall says, “Dr Zakir Naik’s public addresses have caused significant distress within our [Christian] community, as he openly questioned the authenticity of our faith, discredited our sacred texts, and made statements that undermine the beliefs of Christian pastors and scholars.”

The letter says that Dr Naik’s remarks not only caused “religious offense but also undermined the national pride of all Pakistanis, regardless of their faith”.

The letter also criticises the government for lack of a formal expression of regret regarding Dr Naik’s comments, which has “further intensified the sense of marginalisation” felt by the Christian community, despite the government’s repeated assurances of upholding religious harmony and mutual respect for all.

Dr Marshall, in the letter, urges the government to take immediate and effective steps “to prevent such divisive and harmful” incidents, particularly those occurring under state sponsorship, from happening in the future.

He has referred to Quaid-e-Azam’s historic address to the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan in 1947, asserting that Dr Naik “disrespected” the founding father’s vision in his public gatherings as a state guest.

“Dr Zakir Naik’s comments were done in open forums where our Pastors and scholars were denied the opportunity to adequately respond or correct the misinformation spread by his ill-informed views,” Dr Marshall added.

In a telephonic conversation with Dawn, Dr Marshall said that as citizens of Pakistan, minorities’ fundamental rights have been guaranteed under Article 20 of the Constitution, which states, “Every citizen shall have the right to profess, practice, and propagate his religion.”

He also quoted Article 36, which “obligates the state to safeguard the legitimate rights of minorities”.

He urged President Zaradari to take earnest steps to ensure that these constitutional rights are upheld and not violated by any individual.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2024